


The Last Night

by missema



Series: If It Isn't Love [3]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Explicit Consent, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Holidays, New Year's Eve, Oral Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-28
Updated: 2014-12-28
Packaged: 2018-03-04 01:52:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2904956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missema/pseuds/missema
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cullen and Phedre are two busy people who are trying to have a relationship.  In an effort to make more time, Cullen makes plans - to spend the last night of the year together, to go away for a romantic weekend - but his plans don't hold up.  When everything is spontaneous, it can be better than carefully laid plans.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Last Night

Cullen had come over to apologize. He and Phedre didn't have much of a relationship history, but he was sure that it couldn't hurt to be the one that apologized first after a disagreement. When he went over to her apartment one night after making sure she was home, he came bearing food and wearing a contrite expression.

They fought about time, or the lack of it spent together. The problem was deeper than just hours spent in one another's presence, but how limited time didn't allow them the chance to know each other. He had no idea what she was thinking or how she felt, unless she said it aloud. Cullen wanted more, and so did Phedre, but making it work in practice was harder than just realizing they needed a bigger commitment from each other. It was something they needed to address, and he thought he had a solution, albeit not a permanent one. A weekend away together. One week after First Day, on the first weekend of the new year, they'd go away together. If she would make the time, he would as well.

When he got there, she buzzed him up and he started up the steps with his two bags of takeout food. They were from a local place that made a decent attempt at home cooked comfort food, and hoped she had drinks. For someone who made a living talking about organization and selling products related to it, Phedre often forgot to grocery shop. It wasn't that she had any aversion to food the he knew of, but her time was allocated elsewhere and she wound up eating peanut butter sandwiches for dinner quite often. Once she'd called him at midnight asking to come over because all she had to eat was crackers and prunes, and was hoping that he had some peanut butter.

"The door's open." She yelled in response to his knock. Cullen entered and shut the door behind him. Phedre emerged from the kitchen, sheepishly holding up her stockings in one hand. She looked beautiful, clad in a purple skirt that came to her knees and showed off every curve and black button down shirt. The skirt was wrinkled, slightly pulled up but no less stunning for its dishevelment.

"You caught me in the middle of getting this itchy stockings off. I'd just gotten here when I buzzed you up."

He frowned at her. "When I called, you said you were here."

"I was on my way. I knew I could beat you if you went to get the food." His expression must have given away some of his thoughts, because she dropped the stockings and reached out for him. "I'm sorry we fought before, but this is me making time. I wanted you here, and I'd gladly forgo a little extra sleep for dinner with you."

"I'm sorry too, about before. Let's eat before it gets cold." He said.

She took the bags from his hand and he took off his coat. She went back into the kitchen, and Cullen followed, mesmerized by the sway of her backside in that skirt. Her bare legs and feet made her seem delicate compared to his overdressed form. As he walked, he stepped over the other pieces of her discarded clothing - a pair of gold heels, a wide black belt with a gold buckle - and prepared to help Phedre get out the plates. She stood with her back to him as she reached up to the cabinet, but Cullen came up behind her and pressed up to her back. She stilled as he wrapped his arms around her.

"You look gorgeous." He whispered, and felt her smile at his words. He kissed her neck, lips soft against her skin, tasting faint traces of her perfume. "Does that skirt get any shorter?"

Phedre giggled, low and husky. "Doesn't go up very well, I'm afraid. Just down." Cullen smoothed a palm over the front of her skirt, brushing over everything from her waist to the tops of her thighs with slow intent. This motion wasn't ignored by Phedre, who ground her backside into his groin in answer. His next question was more smoky growl, timber pitched to respond to her movements and less her teasing words.

"Is that so?"

"I missed you." She said. "All day. You're a distraction."

Cullen found the button on the back of the her skirt and unbuttoned it. "Am I?" He asked, the words hot against her neck. She tilted her head back and he kissed just under her ear before pulling away. The zipper of her skirt sounded obscenely loud against their whispers. Her skirt fell, a pool of eggplant colored fabric against the linoleum floor.

"Yes. I have a business to run. I have...responsibilities." Phedre's voice quavered as she responded, shivering as Cullen drew delicate circles across her skin with a fingernail.

"You have things to do?" He prompted, turning her around to face him.

She nodded unconvincingly, licking her lips at him. He could see each breath she took, shallow, quick and excited. Her lips were slightly parted, but she didn't look like she was overwhelmed, not in the least. She looked hungry, predatory with want and her gaze caused excitement to zip through him. The cardigan he'd so carefully picked out so that he would look casual yet presentable, weighed too much against his chest.

He shook the sweater off, leaving his polo shirt on then went back to kissing her. Her mouth slanted against his, offering and taking, the two of them caught in the dance of pushing and pulling. The buttons on her shirt strained against his chest, and he started unbuttoning those too as his lips clung to hers. When the shirt fluttered limply to her sides, Cullen pressed hot kisses on the newly revealed skin, across sternum and belly, cover the tops of pert black lace clad breasts.

The lace stretched as Phedre arched her chest up, meeting his kisses. He watched the lace gently shift to reveal nothing, tantalizing him with the motion. He licked her nippled through the sheer fabric, making her shudder. The nipple pebbled, easier to find and he sucked at gently, then lowered the lace to take it in his mouth without impediment. Phedre moaned as he did. He made sure to take the other in turn, only stopping when both nipples were hard and wet from his attention.

She liked the build up, the teasing, and he let a hand drift over her wet panties, feeling the heat the radiated from between her thighs. He kept his touch light, but felt her buck at the slightest provocation, too sensitive to not be on her way to climaxing. It would take precious little if he didn't slow down. He was ridiculously hard, cock straining uncomfortably against his jeans. If they wanted, she could slid onto him right there in the kitchen, mount him like a prize warmblood and they could fuck like animals. But he didn't have that in mind for their first time together.

So Cullen dropped to his knees, and blew a soft breath against the bare skin just below her hip, just to hear her sigh. He looked up to find her watching him, her hair tumbling down on either side of her face to obscure her features, save for shining, narrowed eyes and parted lips. He kissed the inside of her thigh and she moaned. One hand slid her panties to the side and he felt Phedre shudder through the length of her spine as he nosed into her damp curls.

The tip of his tongue made light, feathery licks - more for him to taste her than to truly please. Her hips wiggled, trying to bring him closer. Cullen smiled against the warmth of her and relented, pressing another kiss just under her belly button. He slid a finger inside of her, letting her take it slowly, enveloping the digit in sticky heat. Oh, he could almost imagine how she would feel around his cock, the grasping clench that would make him grit his teeth in exquisite agony when she took him in. It was with that thought that he pressed the flat of his tongue against her, truly tasting the whole of her wetness for the first time. Phedre's hands gripped his hair, her body arcing into his mouth. He took as much as he could, tongue sweeping and lapping as his finger made a slow rhythm in and out.

He had no warning but the tensing of her body, but then she flew, coming in great waves. Hands rigid in their passion wound tightly in his hair, the pull adding a pleasant undercurrent to the torrent of pleasure above him. She came loudly, his name a half-sob that caught in her throat only to sound again and again, as Phedre shook through the eddies of her climax. When she calmed, he withdrew his finger and stood, knees protesting the movement. Cullen bundled her to him, all soft kisses and nuzzles for a while, until the kisses turned humid and more pointed, her hand stroking him through his jeans.

She unzipped his pants and he hissed when the cool air hit the length of him. For a moment they just stood together, he in her hand, eyes closed and head bowed as if in prayer. Then they moved, his hips pulling back to thrust into her hand and she to stand on tip toe. The result was that Cullen wound up much closer to entering her than he wanted; she'd stood up to part her legs. The tip of his cock slid up and down in her wetness, but not inside of her, not quite.

He didn't know how to tell her what he wanted. To be with her, Cullen would need hours at least. Days if he could, and probably years once they'd learned all the initial, crucial turn ons that were already known. He could discover more, unearth the things Phedre didn't even know would make her moan, things that would inspire a torrent of heat between her legs. What he did say was, "Your perfect mouth, please." because he couldn't think of a way to tell her about the hours he wanted, the days he needed and the years he would surely require.

That perfect mouth smiled at him and obliged, this time she bending to knees to offer pleasure. With his finger wound in her silken hair, he thought of nothing but her as she set upon him. Each lick, stroke and suck belonged to only her, the goddess he could still taste on his tongue. They moved together, his hips and her head, rocking back and forth until he couldn't maintain the shared beat any longer. Frantic motion fueled by the nearness of his release sent heat through him, making him incoherent, composure slipping as he came. It was like firecrackers going off inside of him, making every nerve ending alive with sensation.

They stood together in an embrace, Cullen still too hot about the ears and high to do more than give sloppy kisses. When she made to move, he caught her hand. She let herself be pulled back into his arms.

"I should get cleaned up." She said.

"I can reheat the food." He offered.

Phedre smiled up at him, placing her hand just over his heart. "Cullen, I do miss you when we're apart. I care for you so much."

"And I care for you. I did have another intention when I came over. The weekend after First Day, would you be interested in going away with me?" There was something about asking with her in his arms, after what they'd just done that made it seem like a loaded question once it was out.

But he needn't have worried. "Yes. Oh Maker, absolutely, I will make the time." She said emphatically. "Where to?"

"There's a place I love, near where I grew up."

"Let me get redressed and you can tell me all about it." She said, and he finally relinquished her. When she was gone he picked up his sweater, put it back on and got out plates for the now lukewarm food.

#####

A few days later

The couch hadn't even been in his house for a day, and Cullen had already slept on it twice. The second time wasn't because he was overly fond of his new furniture, though he was, but because he was exhausted and already sitting on it. It was no effort at all to just lay himself down, tipping to the left and catching a pillow underneath his head.

But it was a great couch, Phedre had made sure of it. It was the largest piece of furniture he'd ever owned, and surely the most expensive. But it was worth it, no matter how many swatches of cotton linen and regular linen he'd had to see before selecting it. Technically it was called some kind of name like the "New Marcher" or "White Plains", some silly title he couldn't remember. It was grey, had clean lines and was actually a sectional with an ottoman in the middle, which made it seem like a nest when he put his blankets in it. It was comfortable and wouldn't require much cleaning. They'd done well together.

Cullen hated shopping for such things, and usually just went with whatever he first liked, but Phedre was much more at ease. The first weekend they'd spent together, after the night of the fire, he'd asked for her help finishing his townhouse. Decorating was far from his interests, but he disliked the unfinished feeling in his home. Somehow the small things that were still missing negated the massive amounts of renovation work he'd done on the place. Phedre helped him fill in the gaps with a professional interest. Her attention to detail brought forth ideas that he would never have had on his own. In just a short amount of time, she'd made his place seem more liveable, more like a home.

Like 'their' home, if Cullen was honest with himself. That thought didn't displease him at all, though it was still too early in their relationship to bring up living together. They hadn't even had sex yet, but he was certain that's what their trip away the next weekend would bring about. He closed his eyes, hoping that by then he would feel whole again. He didn't want her to see him like this, struggling and anxious as they sat in some seaside inn, not making love.

He'd picked the place, and she'd cleared the time. It was rare that neither one of them was working, but Cullen had capable managers under him and could cut his time back. Phedre's small business had her at the center of it, even with her few other employees. The only fight they'd had was about not spending enough time together a week previously. Their schedules hardly matched up, and while he was happy to change his around, she was more stubborn. It was something they were trying to overcome.

What he needed to overcome on his own was another set of issues entirely. Sighing, Cullen got up off the couch and went to make a bowl of cereal. That was a sad culinary swan song for the last year, going out eating a bowl of cereal alone in his house, but there was nothing he could do about it now. He had to eat about a pound of fiber each day, otherwise the lyrium still in his system would have its revenge on his guts. He hated this, the life he lived where he had to constantly monitor every function of his body for the slightest variance. But as much as he hated it, he was never, ever going to take lyrium again. When he reached up to get the box, Cullen caught a whiff of himself. Fantastic, he smelled too. No wonder he was ending the year alone.

Phedre had wanted him to go out; there were parties to attend. Originally, he'd planned to go with her, but then canceled earlier in the day. Yesterday had been too much for him, pain and headaches and those awful cold sweats that made him feel clammy long after he took a shower. Today was better, but it took time to recover. But in his state of mind, people felt like too much and not enough. Outside of his door he could hear the coming and goings of people, the loud well-wishes and laughter and wanted that, but it also set his teeth on edge. Sometimes noise was too noisy and people too demanding for him. He poured milk into a mixing bowl and added far too much cereal, eating it over the sink.

He'd take a shower, he decided firmly. No excuses. A shower would do him good. Then he'd go back to his couch and watch something funny on instant video. Something that would cheer him up and not remind him that he convinced an unwilling Phedre that he'd be alright alone, that he needed sleep from a long work schedule and that he wasn't avoiding everything.

The deepest grips of melancholy hadn't taken him, but he was tired. Cullen finished his food and went to take his shower, his thoughts mostly on Phedre. He should call her at midnight, even if he wasn't with her. They could use video chat to wish each other a happy First Day. As he was getting dressed, his phone rang, but Cullen had no idea where it was. Probably on the first floor, near the couch. The clock said it was still an hour and half to midnight so he ignored it and finished dressing. When he did, the doorbell rang.

When he opened the door, it was Phedre. Snow fell gently outside, piling on top of what had already accumulated over the day. It hadn't been there last time he'd been out. Phedre looked worried at first, but threw her arms around him when she stepped inside. "Cullen, I tried calling you."

"I was in the shower. I thought you had three parties to go to." He said, flummoxed by her appearance on his doorstep. She had shopping bags, and was handing them to him. He took them without thought, admiring her. The night's festivities had called for a change in hairstyle, and she was wearing a large fur trimmed cloak instead of her normal white coat.

"I went to one. It was boring, but I met a friend of yours. Dorian something or other. Photographer. I have his card somewhere in my bag. He's going to come in next week to talk about freelancing for me. Told me to tell you that you owe him a rematch."

Cullen laughed and was surprised at how rusty it sounded to his own ears. "Old friend. It's nice to know he's around. What's in the bags?"

"Dinner and some extras. There's one more bag in the car, and my overnight bag. Let me get them." She hurried back out into the light snow. He took the other bags into the kitchen, and heard her slam the door behind her.

"Not that I'm displeased, but why are you here?" He asked, unpacking a grocery bag with his back to her. She went to the store, which meant she must have done it before she went out for the night since they were long closed for the holiday. This was a planned visit; the realization made him smile.

Over her shoulder was a large leather bag and in her hand another brown grocery bag that clinked when she put it on the counter. "It's full of booze and those bottles of green tea you like." She said, responding to the question he hadn't voiced. "Tomorrow is the First Day, we should toast to the year. And you never have decent wine."

She set the other bag down and pulled off the cloak, revealing dress clothes underneath. She rarely wore dresses, he knew that she preferred trousers, but she didn't look underdressed. Her top was some kind of silk halter top that was slightly yellowish white of pearls, which he was sure was intentional, because she had on a headband covered in pearls. Her trousers were black, wide in the legs and looked like they were made of many layers. High heels completed the look, but he didn't take time to look at them. They sounded spiky against his floors and made her just that much taller than him.

"You never answered my question." he reminded her, his voice quiet. She smelled faintly of perfume and charred food and smoke. He couldn't even remember where any of the parties she'd talked about were at, let alone guess which one she'd attended.

"Cullen, I'm here because whatever else you may think of yourself, you aren't a convincing liar. When we talked, I could tell something was wrong. I didn't buy that you wanted to be alone. What's going on?" She was standing in front of him, so close that they were nearly eye to eye. She didn't touch him, but they were close enough that either could reach out. There was the sense between them that she was holding back, evidenced by her unsure smile. She was always so careful, so exceedingly gentle when it came down to it.

Cullen sighed, almost ashamed in the face of such concern, kindness he felt he surely didn't deserve. "There are bad days, Phedre. Yesterday was one of them. I thought it better if you went on without me tonight, so I could recover and you could enjoy the Last Night."

"I wasn't going to end the year without seeing you." She whispered, and Cullen finally closed the gap between them, pulling her closer. An arm slid around him.

"You know, you're done up all pretty tonight. Almost like a doll, if dolls were taller than I am." He said, teasing in his tone, trying to push past her worry.

She kissed him, a soft, sweet kiss that Cullen was sure was meant to silence him. It worked too well, and caught her as she made to pull away and kissed her. The second time she pulled back he let her, and she put her hands on his shoulders and stepped out of her shoes. Instantly she was inches shorter, then stooped to pick the shoes up. Cullen drew a line down her exposed spine, marveling at the softness of her back.

"Are you better now?" She asked.

"I am."

"Good." She said, and pulled off the headband. Her hair stayed put until she shook it out, then it became more like the way she always wore it, albeit with a crimp in the top. "I need a shower. I was going to head home first, but when you didn't pick up your phone I came straight here. So would you mind terribly if I used your fancy shower to get rid of the stink of cigars? Someone lit up one of those awful imitation Antivan cigars and it filled the room with greenish smoke." She liked his shower; his master bath was the only room that was truly finished in the whole house, and he had a huge glass shower in there.

"By all means." Cullen said.

When Phedre was all showered, she came back downstairs to where he was waiting. Neither was hungry, she ate at the party and he'd had his giant bowl of cereal. They decided on a movie and she settled onto his new couch wearing one of his shirts and a pair of shorts. Cullen was always cold and had his heat turned up, including the heating the ran under his floorboards. She was nearly too warm in his house, which she discovered after wearing cashmere pajamas over the first weekend she'd stayed with him. Phedre combated the heat by wearing less, a plan that Cullen heartily endorsed.

"This is a nice couch. It looks good in here." She said, sitting down. "Are you going to keep it like this, or move the pieces around?"

The couch was still set up like it came, all the pieces pushed as close together as it could get. He liked that it made a kind of nest to sit in. "I'll keep it this way for now. It's good for napping." He said.

She sat nestled up to his side, and they watched the movie. Except they didn't watch it, not really. He became aware that she wasn't really paying attention after the first ten minutes. Her fingers traced the lines on his hands, brought them to her mouth to kiss and then tapped on his fingertips with her own. When she was finished with his hands, Phedre moved closer to him and started tracing his lines again, but this time it was the muscles of his thigh through the fabric of his pants. She mapped him with soft palms flat against him, with gentle fingertips that found crevices and a kiss to his collarbone.

The affection was returned in short order. Cullen kissed her hands, so tiny and unlined compared to his. Her legs were unencumbered by pants and he ran his hands along the smooth planes of her thighs, along her hips and up the curve of her back. Her shorts lent him access that she didn't have to his body, and he teased as much of her skin as he could. When his hands slid upwards, he discovered she wasn't wearing anything underneath her pajamas. The revelation of her bare skin under his t-shirt made him inexplicably harder than he already was. They were kissing steadily by the time he pressed her back flat onto the couch, thankful that there was enough room to move around freely as he pinned her to the cushions.

"Cullen." She panted, a hand in his hair as she stopped him. His hand kneaded her breast, her legs parted by the bulk of his form. The movie played behind them, unaware that its audience had turned away to more pleasurable pursuits.

"Are you sure?" She asked. "I thought you had a whole weekend planned. I assumed that we'd wait until then."

Cullen nipped at her lip, smiling at the question, at her thoughtfulness. Things didn't always have to go as planned to be good. "I just wanted to make sure I had you for more than a night. I hate the thought of us not having enough time."

"I'm all yours for as long as you want." Phedre breathed and reached up to bring him in for another kiss.

"And you want this?" He asked. Even though she'd stopped to make sure for him, he wanted to be clear that she could stop him as well. They would be certain in this, they would both want to be together right then or it wasn't happening.

"Maker, _yes_." Phedre said, so emphatic that she made him chuckle. Her answer was so raw, so pure that he felt the words go straight through him.

He had condoms in the bathroom nearby. It was only steps away but it felt as if it might as well have been a mile away. Reluctantly, he unentangled himself from Phedre and stood, shutting off the movie as he did. She propped herself up on an elbow and looked at him.

"I'll be right back." He said, leaning back down to kiss her again. "Don't move." There was no way he'd be leaving once they got further, and Cullen wanted no more reasons to break away.

The task was completed quickly, and Cullen caught sight of his clock on the way back to Phedre. It was twenty minuted to midnight, almost First Day. Outside it was quiet, but he knew that people would begin celebrating as soon as the clock turned and the holiday technically started. Even those at parties would be holding their collective breath, waiting for the moment of the new day to resume their celebrations. He was here, with Phedre. He needed nothing more.

When he came back he found that she hadn't waited patiently for him at all. She rose, completely nude, onto knees that sunk into the cushions of his couch. Cullen stopped in his tracks and watched her, his mind casting her as a beautiful nymph rising to meet him. He hadn't seen her completely naked before, the two of them too rushed to get disrobe completely. This is what he wanted. They needed time they hadn't had in those few moments of intimacy, their shared urgency overwhelming his good sense, but they had it now. Here she was as glorious and nude as she could be, unashamed of her arousal, the nipples atop her pert breasts already beaded tight in response to just his gaze.

"If you're going to stand over there, I'm going to get awfully cold." She said, bringing him back to himself.

The distance between them was closed with unnatural haste. He didn't remember kissing her, only that they were kissing, hands pushing away his clothes as they tried to keep kissing while he undressed. A hand tangled in her already tousled hair, and he pressed her lips to his, nearly delirious with want. The box he'd been so eager to retrieve was tossed unceremoniously onto the couch, and Cullen shed his own clothes in a pile on the floor.

If it were possible to kiss with the whole body, that's how he would describe what they did then. It was skin to as much skin as possible, kissing lips and jaws and neck, feeling the soft glide of her thighs against his, of his chest pressing against the fullness of her breasts. Cullen touched every part of her, because he wanted to remember it all in heated flashes that overwhelmed the memory. Phedre's lips charted a path down him, nipping at his jaw, whispering in his ear, kissing the centerline of his chest. Her hands were just as busy as his, and he had his all over her. They rolled in one ungainly heap, each trying to get atop the other in a playful power struggle that took away some of the roiling nervousness that had settled on him.

When he got her on her back again, Cullen put her legs on his shoulders and lowered himself to kiss her thighs. The position was so close that he could see all of her, admire her fully as he hadn't been able to do on her kitchen floor. She was shining wet beneath dark red curls, slick folds and a swollen clit that he brushed his mouth over lightly.

"Not that you aren't very, very good at that, but I thought that I might come around you." She said softly, proving that it was possible to make him even harder than he already was.

He gave her a swift lick, relishing the taste of her on his tongue and felt her shudder beneath his mouth. Then he moved back as she'd requested, and looked around for the condoms. When he'd finished putting one on, he went back to Phedre and whispered in her ear.

"You know it's almost First Day. Is this really how you want to end your year?" He kept his voice pitched low and relished in the shiver he got in response to his words.

"With you inside of me? Yes, I'd like to end and begin more years that way." She answered in a husky voice, shifting with him as he settled into position.

Oh, there were a hundred more ways that he'd like to take Phedre, but this first time he just wanted her underneath him. She settled back on the couch and he righted himself above her. Her hand guided his cock to the right place and then released him, waiting for him to press in at his leisure. He kissed her again, this time more tenderly than when he'd gotten his clothes off. The vulnerability of the moment made his every touch sweet.

He pressed into her gently, into the tight warmth of her that was at once electric and too much and perfect all the same time. She gasped as he moved fully into her, and Cullen dropped his head to her neck and breathed, trying to keep himself under control. He felt her hand at the back of his head, running lightly through his hair, heard her saying his name in a soft moan. His whole world could be her and he would never ever miss anything again.

To start he was slow and careful, each thrust drawn out and hard, going as deep into her as he could. He kissed her neck, her shoulder and slid a hand over her breast to tease a nipple. She responded to all of his touches, clenching around him in pleasure, whispering his name. Her hips moved in time with his, her legs wrapped around him, urging him deeper. He felt her heels digging into his ass, thighs tight around his.

Cullen moved a hand down to touch her, intending to make sure she climaxed first, but she began to shake before his fingers could do more than skim over her breast. He felt her come as if she were being tuned to perfect pitch, vibrating and humming as she cried out. Maker, she had been right on that count - feeling her come around her was amazing. Every pulse shot desire through him, feeding the already growing fire of his own impending orgasm. Unconsciously, Cullen took on the tenor of the waves of her climax, doing faster and then slower until they ebbed to a leisurely pace.

When he came, it wasn't with frantic, hurried strokes but with deep ones. It was with her all around him, tight and demanding and hot as she kissed all the parts she could reach. Her lips were under his jaw as his pulse thrummed and he stiffened, letting the force of it roll through him. As he recovered he thrust again, easing himself through the end of his release. They kissed, unrestrained, messy kisses that were clumsy and charming, just what they needed from each other right then.

Cullen didn't want her to be pinned under his weight and slid off her as soon as he was ready to pull out. She whimpered at the loss of him, but let him go without any real protest. He got up to take care of the condom in the bathroom and then came back to find Phedre covered in the blanket he'd been sleeping in earlier that night. She lifted up a side of it for him to crawl underneath and he did, curling into her side.

First Day had come at some point, because there was noise outside once again. The sound of celebration and reveling people muffled by windows reached them, but Cullen paid it no mind. He kissed Phedre's shoulder, her arm, her neck and wrapped himself as close to her as he could. His head felt light and he was delirious with too much of her, and so very in love that it threatened to spill from his foolish lips at any time.

She shifted and was then leaning over him, looking down at him. Cullen reached up and cupped her cheek in his hand. Her tousled hair stuck out at odd angles, and her lips were red from kissing. The whole of her body wore the warmed flush of pleasure and her eyes sparkled. Had he known she would be even more beautiful afterwards, he might have done this sooner.

"Happy First Day." Phedre said quietly, and turned her face to kiss the palm of his hand. Cullen reached up to kiss her lips.

"Happy First Day." He replied.

First Day was generally a time spent with family, reconnecting and checking in with distant members and ringing in the new year together. It was a time meant for celebration, for renewal, for loved ones and old ties. Cullen and Phedre spent it together, mostly in bed, with breaks to talk to their families on the phone. She stayed with him, all day. It felt so significant, Cullen couldn't find the words for it when he tried. The only one that came to mind was perfect - the day was just perfect. That night, she stayed with him again. It the best First Day that Cullen could remember having in a very long time.


End file.
